Monthly Archives: May 2018

This is the eleventh book in the Isabel Dalhousie series, which involves a lady who is both a philosopher and a solver of the nagging problems people can’t cope with. At their best, these books are a beautiful portrayal of small lives. McCall Smith balances the miniscule (and incidentally spices up the lack of serious […]

As you might suspect from the title, this book is not a complete novel. It is the lengthy introduction to what promises to become an epic series. As such, there are certain expectations that the prospective reader must get straight. Because of the epic nature of the project, do not expect subtle characterization. These people […]

I once wrote a non-fiction book called, “Why Are People so Stupid?” The answer being that we think we’re being logical while we allow our emotions to tell us to do and say all the completely illogical things that make this world so messy. And interesting. “Sliding Past Vertical” makes the same point, but in […]